Before you apply

What matters this panel covers

The Independent Children’s Lawyer Panel is a practitioner panel under section 29A of the Legal Aid Act 1978 for private practitioners to act as an independent children’s lawyer where Victoria Legal Aid has granted legal assistance for that purpose.

How panel membership works

Victoria Legal Aid’s panel membership model includes a role for both firms and individual practitioners. Membership of the Independent Children’s Lawyer Panel is by individual appointment. However, the firm employing the individual independent children's lawyer must also apply and be approved for panel membership.

Entry requirements

It is essential that practitioners are familiar with the entry requirements, including the assessment guidelines supporting the requirements, before applying for the panel.

The assessment guidelines included with the entry requirements provide essential information about how we will assess applicants against the entry requirements. Firms and practitioners who are not able to meet the entry requirements may be eligible for an exemption.

When to apply

Firms and private practitioners can apply at any time, as the Child Protection Panel is continuously open.

Please note we are preparing to review its Section 29A Panels application process. To accommodate this review, any applications received and assessed after 1 August 2017 will be approved for 12 months only. Practitioners approved during this time will be contacted after the review has been completed to identify if further information is required to extend the period of approval.

Application forms

Private law firms employing one or more private practitioner applicants must submit a completed Section 29A panels firm application form. Only one firm application is required per firm regardless of how many private practitioner applicants it employs.

About this website

Disclaimer: The material in this print-out relates to the law as it applies in the state of Victoria. It is intended as a general guide only. Readers should not act on the basis of any material in this print-out without getting legal advice about their own particular situations. Victoria Legal Aid disclaims any liability howsoever caused to any person in respect of any action taken in reliance on the contents of the publication.

How Victoria Legal Aid can help: Call us on 1300 792 387, Monday to Friday from 8.45 am to 5.15 pm, for free information over the phone about the law and how we can help you. You can speak to us in English or ask for an interpreter. You can also find more legal information at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au